Choosing a boat name is a lot like choosing a name for a baby: it’s a very personal decision.
With our first boat, we were just so excited to be embarking on our adventures that we didn’t give much thought to the name. Our second time around, we knew that we were, in effect, choosing the name we’d be known by.
Listen in for what was wrong with our first boat’s name, and the things we considered the second time around.
Prefer to read? Take a look at A New Name for Our Boat
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Charlotte Caldwell says
We can’t listen to your podcasts unfortunately as we don’t have enough bandwidth. It it possible to have written transcript?
The Boat Galley says
Yes! If you look just below the podcast “screen,” you’ll see a link to a corresponding article.
Charlotte Caldwell says
Duh! Thanks Carolyn. This subject is such an important topic. So many boats have unpronounceable names. Never mind weird!
The Boat Galley says
No problem!
The Jedi Fisherman says
totally right 🙂
Jan Bogart says
Our sailboat is named Vixen, and now our traler is Vixen II. A S&S sloop built in 1946. They were named after Santa’s reindeer. My husband always says he glad he didn’t get Cupid or Prancer!
Lewis Sipfher says
One good test is the ‘three-time hail’ as per VHF. An example NOT to follow: have seen a boat named “OK OK OK.” Imagine hailing “OK” NINE TIMES to call this boat. Nuh-uh, I sez
Brad Fisher says
Our ’95 370. In the Ca Delta.
Bill DuPont says
My wife and I own an independent book store. We purchased a new boat(new to us) last year. A bit of a play on words, the boat became Buy The Book.
Brenda Harbottle says
Carleen Hone says
One sweet lady on a monohull we passed as we were cruising yelled “I heard your boat name on the vhf…now I get it”! Continuing the sort of classic rock theme, we may call our new tri Thunderstruck (that boat was hit by lightning so there will have to be a TON of bubbly to appease Neptune!) Cool podcasts Carolyn Shearlock.
The Boat Galley says
Yeah, I get it! Cute!
Lewis Sipfher says
Are you buying Fiat’s boat?
Carleen Hone says
Lewis Sipfher nope. Another.
Boni Rothmann says
I changed mine from Excelsior to…Asilomar (“refuge by the sea”), courtesy of dr, Wayne Dyer, r.i.p….I did the whole ceremony
Boni Rothmann says
Ad, being an artist, couldn’t bring myself to get stickers…they look cheap to me. Hand painted new stripes and name….not sure how to post pics for you!
D and Don Wogaman says
We’ve had painted on and vinyl and vinyl lasts way longer. Paint lasted three years, the vinyl thirty years. We went with vinyl again.
D and Don on SOUTHERN CROSS
PS Carolyn I did not see any camera to post a photo.
Carolyn Shearlock says
The camera to post a photo is for those who are posting their comment on Facebook. Unfortunatly, you can’t post a photo on the comments here, but they DO get imported when posted in a comment on Facebook.
D says
Thanks!
D
The Boat Galley says
In the “comment” box, you’ll see a camera icon either to the left or right (depends on your device and operating system), click it and you’ll be prompted to upload a picture.
The Jedi Fisherman says
yup<3
Boni Rothmann says
Tried to send you a pic of Asilomar…have to figure it out. BTw, I’m a bohemian barefoot gal myself! Cheers to us!
The Jedi Fisherman says
anyone love as much as me
Anonymous says
I once had a boat neighbor couple, who really a pet peeve over silly, cliche, confusing names on other boats….to the point that they actually named their sailboat “Obscure Reference” lol
Anonymous says
I came up with the name ” The $2 Oar ” for a boat I never even got on the water!
I made the mistake of mentioning the name in a public online forum. Now, I can’t use that name if I wanted to. It’s everywhere!
Chris Avila says
I’ve been trying to find a name for my boat for a long time. Nothing seems to fit. I’m sure when it comes to names that profanity it way out of line but are other names illegal to use?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I can’t find any restrictions on boat names, but yeah, you don’t want a name that you can’t say on the radio (and the VHF regs do prohibit profanity). I don’t know if things like “Mayday” are strictly illegal, but you certainly wouldn’t want to use it.